KUALA LUMPUR: Everyone wants to know everything about Lamine Yamal – from who his girlfriend is (Ines García Santos) and his religion (Muslim) to whether he can become the next Lionel Messi, especially after that viral 2007 photograph of the pair.
At the just concluded World Cup, however, Yamal showed that while he undoubtedly has the talent to become football’s next superstar, he still has some way to go before being mentioned alongside the game’s greats.
That may seem harsh for a player who only turned 19 on July 13, yet already holds the distinction of being the youngest player to win both a continental title (Euro 2024) and the World Cup.
Yamal scored just once at the World Cup – against Saudi Arabia – and failed to register an assist, although he finished the tournament with a competition-leading 35 successful dribbles.
He also surrendered possession 23 times in Spain’s quarter-final victory over Belgium, yet was still named Man of the Match. Across the tournament, he lost possession 104 times in eight matches.
Many expected Yamal to light up the World Cup as he did at Euro 2024, where he scored once and led the tournament with four assists. However, the Barcelona forward was likely hampered by the hamstring injury he carried into the competition.
Instead, Barcelona teammate Pau Cubarsí stole the spotlight, playing a pivotal role in a Spain defence that conceded just one goal throughout the tournament.
Like Yamal, Cubarsí is only 19, having celebrated his birthday on Jan 22.
Cubarsí is also one of five players – alongside Joan García, Eric García, Marc Pubill and Alex Baena – who won Olympic gold in 2024. However, he was the only one to feature in every match.
It came as little surprise, then, that Cubarsí deservedly won the Young Player Award – and the statistics support that verdict.
Across eight matches, he recorded 46 defensive contributions, 29 recoveries and 31 clearances, while surrendering possession only twice.
He also created eight chances and completed 96 per cent of his passes.
Yamal has the potential to become the greatest player of his generation. For now, however, Cubarsí deserves top billing.
Image: Fifa
